Wind and water power wheel



F. L. MCnowELL. WIND AND WATER POWER WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2. |920.

1,413,861, 'Pa'na'Apn 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. L. lVIcDOWELL.

WIND AND WATER POWER WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED AIAR.12,1920.

Patented Apr. 25, '1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inl/671 for F LM Hau/ell.

narran stares FREDERICK L. MCDOWELL, OF RAYLVIONDyA WASHINGTON.

eterea.

WIND AND WATER POVER WHEEL.

Application filed March 12, 1920.y Serial No. 365,219.

To all who/mj t may cou/cem:

Be itknown that I, FREDERICK-L. MC- DowELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Raymond, in the county 4of VPacific and State of Washington, have invented certain new and usefulmprovements in `Wind and Vater Power Wheels; vand I do hereby declare the following to Vbe a full, clear, and exact `description 'of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and'use the same. 'l

This invention relates to power. wheels such as wind wheels, 'water wheels, etc., and has for its primaryobject to provide'a power wheel that can be lowered into a protecting casing so that the wind, water or whatever fluid that may be operating the wheel,` cannot act upon the blades toV -turn the same.

Another object `of the invention is the provision of means for'automatically controlling the speed of the wheel by moving said wheel into and out-*of the protecting casing as the speed increases and decreases, thereby keeping the wheel running' approximately the same rate of speed as the driving forces against the same increase. e y

Vith these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as :the Vdescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts 'as will. be hereinafter more -fully described and claimed. l

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the Yfollowing description-and accompanying drawings, s Y inwhich- Figure 1 is a vertical sectionalview, illustrating a'wind orwater power wheel constructedy in accordance with my invention.

vF ig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view take on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

.Figure 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.l l Referring to the drawings in detail wherein similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral l generally indicates the improved device which includes the wheel 2, that is mounted upon a shaft 8 for vertical sliding movement along the same and for rotation therewith.

A. cylindrical protecting casing 4 is proing and have their free ends secured to a hub 12. The shaft 3 extends through lthe center of the casing 4 and projects outwardly of the same into the frame 9'and has its upper end journaled in the hub 12 which carries suitable bearings 13 for the same. The shaft 3 has its lower end received and journaled in the cement base 7 as at 16, suitable bearings 17 being provided for that purpose.

' The wheel 2 consists of the-upper disk .shaped-'plate l8andthe lower disk shaped plate 19and a plurality of transversely curved blades 2Oy which are secured between the platesV and are provided with suitable braces'21 to strengthen the same. Each of the plates 18 and 19 have hubs 22 which I carry inwardly extending pins 23 which slidably engage in a slot 24extending from one end of the shaft to the other, sok that upon v rotation of the Wheel'2, the shaft 3 will r'otate therewith.,A vBy this construction, the

wheel 2 can also be slid up or-down said v shaft.y The upper plate 18 forms a suitable cover for the ,cylindrical casing when the ,t wheel 2 is lowered.v

j The hub 22 of theplate 19 engages a plate 25 slidably mounted on the shaft 3 and suit- 'able bearings'26'are provided so that` the wheel 2 and the shaft 3 can rotate freely and independently of the plate 25.' VA plurality of pulleys 27 are secured on the'upper edge of the cylindrical casing 4i and Vcables 28 extend over` the same and are vsecured toV eyes 29 carried by the upper face g ofitlie Vplate 25 andhave counter-weights 30 attached thereto fwhich are adapted. tol raise and support therwheel outwardly of the protecting 'casing until the-wheelreaches1 accertain space.

A pair of horizontally disposed shafts 3 have their inner ends journaled in supports 32 carried by the base 7 and their outer ends journaled in the casing 4 and one of said shafts as clearly shown in Figurel extend through said casing. Pinions y33 are` secured to the inner ends of the shafts-32 'to a Vfixed to the shaft .3 whereby said shaft 44 and mesh with a gear 34 which is n'iounted on the lower end of theshaft 3 and .is free to rotate independently of said shaft and has formed integrally therewith a clutch face 35. Cables 36 are secured to the plate'25 by eye bolts 37 and have their lower ends secured to and wound on drums 38 in opposite directions and which'drums are secured to the shafts 32 within the casing 4. A collar 39 is secured 'to `the shaft 3 and has piv- Voted thereto governor arms 40 that have `thus 'causing the gear 34 to rotate with the shaft 3 which in turn rotates the shaft 32k winding the cables 36von'the drums causing the wheel 2 to be drawn .downwardly in the casing 4 and out of the wind and as soon as the speedV ofthe wheel or shaft 3 ldecreases to a certain point, the springs '43 disengage the clutch elements 42 from the clutch face 35 stopping the driving action of the shaft3 on the shaft 32, the weights 30 'then drawV -gthe wheel 2 upwardly out of the casing and into theV wind again toc'ontinue its driving.

Thus it will'be seen meansfhas been provided` whereby the speedfof the wheel 2 can be gov- Verned and I*kept rotating at approximately `the same rateiof speedvat all times regardless of the increase' of the force; acting against the wheel. Y A

A. power take off shaft 44-extends into the casing 4 and has its inner end journaled.

in a support 45 and also has connected theregear 46 which meshes with a gear 4T will be driven by the sha-ft3. The outerend of the shaft `extends a lshort distance :from the casing 4 and is `provided with gears 48 so vthat other devices -canbe connected to the shaft 44 to be driven by the wheel 2.V

:[fhe vshaft 32 which extends vthrough the casing 4 is provided with a 'crank handle 49 and alsofa ratchet wheel'O adapted-to be engaged by 'a dog jlfwhen it is desired to lock the Wheel downwardly within :the'casing 4. Y

Whenit is desired `to stop the rotation of m l 1,41aee1 the wheel 2, the crank handle 49 is rotated winding the-cables -36 on the drums which draws the wheel 2 downwardly in the casing out of the wind, thus stopping the rotation thereof and when said wheel is within the casing, the dog 5l may be then swung into engagement with the ratchet wheel 50 for holding said wheel downwardly within the casing. As soon as the dog 5l is manually released from the ratchet wheel 50, the weights 30V move downwardly drawing the wheel 2 upwardly and out of the casing and into the wind.

While l have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit land scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is:

A power wheel includingfa casing yanda rotatably mounted vertical shaft projecting outwardly of the upper end of the casing, va windwheel splined to said shaft and adapted during non-rotation and when rotating faster than a predetermined speed tolie wholly within-'the casing, a windwheel engaginggelement slidable on the shaft and located wholly below the windwheel, pulleys carriedY 'by `theV upper ledge of the casing, 'weighted elements ktrained over said pulleys 'andhaving 'their weighted ends disposed outwardly of the Veasing and having their other ends secured to 'said wheel-engaging element 'to causethe latter to position the wheel outwardly of the casing 'for rotation at the upper 'part' of the shaft, centrifugally controlled means ldriven by the shaft and located in the llower end of the casing, flexible elements wound on and secured -to said means rand to said wheel engaging element to lower the latter 'for positioning the wheel in the lcasing when'the Alatter rotates 7faster 'than a predetermined rate of speed, and

manually operated means connected to said Y `*first means for operating the latter to lower and retain the `wheel in the casing against the influence of thev weighted elements.

ln testimony whereof l aflix'my signature Y in presence of two witnesses. l. K Y

FREDERCK MODOWELL. `Witnes`ses i 'V I ERNEST' F. RHODES',

FRANK STENZEL. p 

